Bosso election hopefuls to be paraded at AGM

Sikhumbuzo Moyo Senior Sports Reporter HIGHLANDERS FC will hold their annual general meeting at their club house on Sunday where, among things on the agenda, aspiring officer bearers will be presented to the members.

Six candidates successfully filed their nomination papers last Saturday for the posts of treasurer and executive vice-chairman. Incumbent treasurer Donald Ndebele will face his first election when he squares off against Charles Ndlovu.

Ndebele was co-opted into the executive as treasurer when Jerry Sibanda resigned after being recalled by his employers Bulawayo City Council and deployed as chairman of Bulawayo City FC.

Incumbent vice-chairman Mgcini Sibhalo Mpofu will be seeking a fresh mandate and is being challenged by Morden Ngwenya, Kenneth Mhlophe and Nkosinathi Ncube in the February 7 elections.

As per procedure, the candidates will just be paraded before the gathering while on the day of the elections, the six candidates will verbally present their manifestos to the electorate, who are members in good and regular standing.

Aspirant treasurer Ndlovu told Chronicle Sport on Wednesday that he had the experience and qualifications to take charge of Highlanders’ books. Ndlovu holds a senior position at a city bank.

Mpofu will probably bank on continuity as he seeks another mandate.

His challengers are all in unison that Highlanders is riddled with debts because of a poor planning and a poor recruitment policy largely blamed on non-adherence to members’ resolutions.

Some of the resolutions that members have passed but were never implemented include the issue of players’ contracts as well as the recruitment policy.

Members previously adopted a resolution that no player should have less than a 12-month contract and urged the leadership to rely on the club’s juniors as they would have already embraced the club’s values.

The failure by the club to promote juniors has resulted in talented youngsters shunning the Bulawayo giants in favour of teams like Bantu Rovers and How Mine where they know they can get game time.

The three candidates said they would ensure that only players committed to serving Bosso will be engaged.

The candidates have taken their campaigns to Victoria Falls, Hwange, Gwanda, Esigodini, Plumtree and Harare as well as to local influential groupings such as the Heart and Soul, Ijuba and Amavevane Social Club.

Meanwhile, Heart and Soul chairman Peacot Hadebe has refuted reports that they had endorsed Mhlophe as their candidate for the vice-chairmanship as was previously reported.

“We want to state clearly that as a supporters’ chapter, we have not endorsed and are not going to endorse anyone,” said Hadebe.

“To us, whoever is going to win will get our support,’ he said.

Hadebe said their members will vote independently and not as a block.

“We are Highlanders; we support whoever is in power at Highlanders, but individually we are also voters and we never vote as a block,” Hadebe said.